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A Coffee store and art gallery could be coming to Undy after Monmouthshire council gives the options a green light-weight.
The former Mayfair Retailers on Primary Road could be utilized as a espresso shop named Latte Art, exactly where regional artists can display and market their artwork do the job
In a letter as portion of the software system the applicant claimed: “My plan is to use one of the neighborhood farms for my milk source and other create in which attainable.
“I am making an attempt to locate a local baker for provide of bread/baguettes and cakes.
“I have been in call with some area artists who are seeking somewhere to display and market their artwork perform.
“So the artwork would be by regional people, on display screen for nearby people today with the possibility to purchase and get the artwork perform dwelling.”
The espresso shop would provide equally indoor and outside seating for customers.
The making has previously been used as a basic retail store and florist store, but there is backing for the proposed coffee store from the regional group.
The council been given 10 letters of support for the application, which mentioned the coffee store would have a “positive effect on the area economy and community”.
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A further described it as a “great site for a cafe with community art”.
A single supporting remark study: “It will be a good use of the constructing.
“It will also create regional work and be a wonderful community spot.
“This is an wonderful plan and just what the space needs to convey the local local community jointly.”
A person objection was submitted boosting worries over the number of espresso retailers in the spot.
It said: “I operate a cell espresso shop 100 metres down the road, I can ensure there is not the trade to sustain my new organization, the proposed new enterprise and the probability of one more coffee store being set into the proposed community centre.”
Nevertheless, the council report says competitors involving businesses is “not a material setting up consideration” and thus shouldn’t “influence a planning determination”.
Underneath preparing approval the coffee shop could open up amongst 6.30am and 6pm on any working day of the week.
Magor With Undy Local community Council did not item to the ideas, but questioned no matter whether highways authorization would be demanded for the proposed out of doors seating.
Even so, the council’s highways staff elevated no concerns above this.
In the arranging report, it states there is possible to be “no substantial boost in sound and disturbance as a end result of this transform of use” and no maximize in odours resulting from cooking simply because the coffee shop would be offering cakes and biscuits.
Any buyers or delieries to the premises would be anticipated to park in the lay-by at the entrance of the shop.
Whilst the council has accepted a scheduling application, a licence is however required from environmental wellness right before the espresso shop can open up.


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A sizable lot of Alexander McQueen jewelry, designed by frequent collaborator Shaun Leane is up for grabs at Sotheby’s.
The 42-piece collection features some of McQueen’s most iconic metal accessories, including a crown of thorns, chainmail gloves, and a metal corset.
“I believe that the collection represents a level of creative freedom that has no parallel today,” said Leane. “It is my hope that the endless inspiration and unadulterated joy that these pieces have brought to me… will now be shared with collectors, museums and institutes from around the world.”
Sotheby’s will also feature the collection in a brief exhibition, titled A Life of Luxury which opens on November 30, ahead of the auction on December 4.

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Turlock Restaurant Week
By Noel Daniel
In what was deemed a runaway success, Turlock Restaurant Week had its inaugural run from Jan. 19 – 28. In it, 25 Turlock restaurants came together to offer a variety of delicious menu items at great prices. So, how did such a large-scale event make its way to Turlock?
“California does Restaurant Month, so cities all over the state participate in their own restaurant week,” said Haley Brown, who had previously run Stockton Restaurant Week. “I had experience with that, so I thought it’d be a great event to bring. It was formed by myself and Ali Cox.”
Ali Cox & Company is a marketing agency in Turlock with a variety of clients. Hey Turlock, a community calendar to bring the city together, was created by Alison Cox, along with Hillary Callis.
And Hey Turlock wasn’t the only press the event got. The affair eventually got the attention of a couple of news channels. FOX 40 invited The Udder Place to their studio to present their TRW special on live television and Good Day Sacramento dropped by Toscana’s Ristorante to cover their special Breakfast & Bread meal and their featured entrée within their $20 two-course meal.
“It’s exciting that we’re bringing something new to Turlock,” said Brown. “We know our restaurants are big players, and that’s why we want to highlight them and their great work and creativity with menus.”
The week was also a moment in history for Mundo’s Latin Grill as they offered Sunday Brunch for the first time ever. The new menu consists of Caramel Cider Mimosas, Cinnamon Chip French Toast, Chilaquiles, a breakfast burrito called El Jefe, and a lot more delectable dishes.
“In general, we’re giving restaurants an event where we can celebrate awesome dining and awesome ingredients,” said Brown. “We love Turlock, we love eating in Turlock, we love being a business in downtown Turlock. We know how many awesome options there are around here. We wanted to highlight local businesses and bring attention to the amazing food.
“Typically, January is a pretty slow month for restaurants. So that’s the strategy behind Restaurant Week and Restaurant Month. If we can get people from Modesto, Stockton, or Tracy to come to our restaurants, that would be a great thing for businesses.”
Restaurant Weeks are a 10-day period where the participating restaurants have either created a special menu for a special price, or they’ve created a discount for diners to enjoy for 10 days only. You don’t need tickets, you don’t need to buy anything—just dine out as much as you want for 10 days at restaurants you don’t normally go to.
Didn’t catch Turlock’s Restaurant Week this week around? Make sure you don’t miss 2019‘s, taking place on Jan. 18-27.


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Slovenia's economy expanded an annual 5.5% in the Q4, the second-fastest pace in the 13-nation euro region, as exports surged and higher wages and investment boosted domestic demand.
Growth in the former Yugoslav republic's $34.6 billion economy compares with 5.6% in the Q1, the Statistical Office of Slovenia in Ljubljana reported on its Web site today. Growth for the full year was 5.2%. The European Union's eastern members, including Slovenia, are benefiting from a surge in investment and trade since membership in the EU ballooned the bloc to 27 nations. The Q4 expansion in Slovenia, which adopted the euro on January 1, is the fourth consecutive three-month period above 4.7%. Combined euro-zone growth was 0.9% in the Q4.
„Robust domestic demand remained the most important growth component, mainly thanks to a significant revival in investment activity,” said Sándor Gardo, an economist at Vienna-based Austria Creditanstalt bank in an e-mailed statement today. „This year will also be a promising year for Slovenia.” Slovenia was the only of the nations that joined the EU in 2004 to qualify for making the switchover to the common currency as it kept debts, spending and inflation under control, even though growth is slower only than Ireland's 7.7% Q3 expansion within the euro region.
The inflation rate stood at 2.1% at the end of February, within the limits for countries using the euro. That eased concern that the adoption would spark price increases. Lithuania and Estonia, who also applied to join the euro zone on January 1, failed to qualify because of accelerating inflation. Exports underpinned the country's growth, rising 9.5% in the quarter, while imports rose 10.7%. Domestic consumption grew 6.6% in the Q4, the office reported. The Finance Ministry said exports are „dispersed among various companies and that is what makes Slovenian economy so resilient.”
The five biggest exporters are home appliance maker Gorenje d.d. from Velenje, carmaker Renault SA's Slovenian unit Revoz, drugmakers Lek-Novartis and Krka d.d. and auto parts maker Prevent Group, according to the Finance Ministry. „These companies represent only a fifth of the whole Slovenian export, so it's a lot of small companies that contribute to exports,” Slovenian Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk said in an interview February 20. Consumption was boosted by a 15.2% increase in fixed capital formation in the Q4, compared with 14.6 in the Q3. The government's contribution to GDP rose 4.2% during the quarter, up from 3% rise in the previous three months, the data showed. (Bloomberg)


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Blu-Ray Friday The 13th Triple Pack Rumored For 2012
12.1.11 - Well, it looks as though fans will be busy in 2012 as there are a number of items being made available to buy from the Friday the 13th film franchise. We already know about the CD soundtrack box set being released in January and a combo Blu-Ray set featuring A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010, Friday the 13th 2009 and Freddy vs Jason. There has been mention of a full Blu-Ray box set for next year as well, but there could be even more.
Nothing has been officially announced yet, but we hear that Paramount Pictures might be planning to release the first three films in the series in a miniature box set package, much like they did for all eight Paramount movies on DVD in 2011. This is sure to anger fans even more, who were not too thrilled that a DVD box set was released first before the high definition Blu-Rays were offered to the public. For right now, this 3 disc miniature box set of the first three films in the series is unconfirmed at this time, but very likely to be happening.
Stay tuned for more updates on this three film set as well as even more news relating to Friday The 13th coming soon!


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Take your tablet to bed: Amazon rolls out ‘blue shade’ tool for Fire range to allow people to read at night and still sleep
- Scientists claim blue light could cause interrupted sleep
- Free Amazon update for Fire tablets filters out harmful blue light
- Other apps can change the light on your devices to make it appear red
- This reduces eye strain and doesn't disrupt your internal body clock
- See the latest news on Amazon products at www.dailymail.co.uk/amazon
Reaching for a tablet when you can’t sleep can make the problem worse.
These devices – along with TVs, laptops and smartphones - emit blue light that can wreak havoc with our body’s inner clock.
Now Amazon has begun to roll out a feature known as ‘Blue Shade’ on its Kindle Fire tablets which limits the amount of blue light that reaches your eyes.
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Amazon has begun to roll out a feature known as ‘Blue Shade’ on its Fire tablets which limits the amount of blue light that reaches your eyes. Blue light can disrupt the body's internal clock, claim scientists
The feature can be turned on or off with one tap, and also lets you adjust the filter’s colour settings and brightness.
The device will automatically adjust the filtering when the colour is tweaked so that blue light is always suppressed.
Blue Shade is rolling out today for the company's Fire HD 10, Fire HD 8 and Fire tablets as part of a free software update.
It follows the introduction of several new apps designed to transform the blue light on mobile phones into red light.
According to an in-depth report by Andy Betts at makeuseof.com most of the blue light filtering apps work in a similar way.
When the clock on your phone shows that the sun has set, the apps place a red overlay on the screen to transform its colour temperature.
'This gives everything a red hue, which takes a little getting used to,' the report says.
'But it also cancels out the negative effects of the blue light, and massively decreases glare.
'Even if you’re skeptical about it improving your sleep, you will immediately notice a reduction in eye strain when using your phone in a dimly lit room.'
There are, however, some issues with these red overlay apps. For instance, the red reduces contrast causing black to to appear dark crimson.
In Android, the shading can cause certain buttons to become inaccessible.
Blue Shade is rolling out today for the company's Fire HD 10, Fire HD 8 and Fire tablets. It follows the introduction of several new apps designed to transform the blue light on mobile phones into red light
An example of one of these apps is Twilight, which comes in both a free and pro version,
Scientists at Penn State and Harvard universities in the US recently found that those who regularly use e-readers before bed do not sleep for as long.
They take nearly ten minutes longer to fall asleep after using their devices, compared with those reading a printed book, and their sleep is far worse.
The researchers found they have less rapid eye movement, a stage of sleep thought to be crucial because it is when people consolidate memories.
Neuroscientist Dr Anne-Marie Chang, whose research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said screens have an ‘extremely powerful effect’ on the body’s natural sleep pattern.
‘Our most surprising finding was that individuals using the e-reader would be more tired and take longer to become alert the next morning,’ she said.
Nearly all living things have a body clock that synchronises to the 24-hour pattern of the Earth’s rotation.
The circadian rhythm, which also determines if we are a ‘morning’ or an ‘evening’ person, is regulated by the senses, most importantly the way the eye perceives light and dark.
Blue light, which is emitted by the low-energy light-emitting diodes used in smartphones, tablet computers and laptops, is known to be particularly disruptive to sleep.
Scientists say the blue light increasingly used by people lying in bed, could lead to interrupted sleep or even harm our eyes. Now a raft of new apps designed to transform the blue light into red light could save your sight and help you get a good night's rest. Pictured are screenshots from 'Bluelight Filter for Eye Care'
As well as apps, technology firms are developing ‘safe screens’ to address fears that smartphones and tablet computers may be keeping us awake at night.
The new ‘safe screens’ are said to work by emitting less light from the violet end of the blue spectrum, the most harmful part.
Paul Gray, an analyst at the business research firm IHS, said: ‘We’ve been told from a very early age by parents that too much screen time, in front of a TV or a computer, is bad. So a “safe” screen might resonate with consumers.’
But some researchers are sceptical about blue light fears.
Serge Picaud, at the Institute of Sight in Paris, said: ‘We should not be so afraid that we bin all our screens. The light intensities produced by our screens are still relatively weak compared to sunlight.’
And Vincent Gualino, a French ophthalmologist, said the real problem is not the devices but ‘over-consumption’, warning people against spending more than six hours in front of screens.
The Twilight app does a simlar thing to the blue shade feature on the Fire Tablet. It comes in both a free and pro version, 'The filter intensity is smoothly adjusted to the sun cycle based on your local sunset and sunrise times,' the apps creators write on the Google Play store
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The Korea Times: Samsung Galaxy S6 "Iron Man" version available next month
The Korea Times: Samsung Galaxy S6 "Iron Man" model available next month
What was once a rumor is now reality - Samsung is introducing an Avengers-themed model of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge next month.
According to The Korea Times, Lee Young-hee, head of marketing for Samsung's mobile division said that the new model will reflect design aspects of Iron Man's red/gold suit. The company is expected to share more details after discussions with Marvel Studio.
The Korea Times -"The color of the new Iron Man phones will be red. We will decide on other details soon after discussions with Marvel Studio. It will be released either at the end of May or early June," said Lee Young-hee, head of marketing for the company's mobile division.
Shin Jong-kyun, mobile chief at Samsung, also shared with the news site that sales of the Galaxy S6 models are "cruising smoothly" without revealing specific sales numbers. Shin also commented that production of the Galaxy S6 increased this month compared to April.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 models are currently available in the following colors: white pearl, black sapphire, gold platinum. The Galaxy S6 will sport an exclusive blue topaz tone while its curvier counterpart will come in green emerald. A red/gold model will be a nice addition, right?
Source: The Korea Times


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By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK (Reuters) – On the heels of the S&P 500’s best June performance in more than six decades, investors are anxious to see whether earnings can justify further gains as the largest U.S. companies open their books in the coming weeks.
The profit picture for 2019 has been weakening since the start of the year as the U.S.-China trade war has dragged on, increasing worries about its potential impact on corporate profit margins.
Analysts expect almost no profit growth for the second quarter in comparison with a year ago, versus a forecast of 6.5% growth at the start of the year. In addition, they expect a gain of just 0.7% in the third quarter, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
The S&P 500 () hit a record high on Monday after last week closing out June with a 6.9 percent monthly increase, its biggest June percentage gain since 1955.
The potential for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut this year largely propelled June’s gains, while recent developments on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Japan over the weekend offered fresh hope for investors that trade tensions may be easing.
With valuations rising, market watchers are paying close attention to the earnings forecast trend. The S&P 500 is now trading at about 17 times forward earnings, up from 16.3 at the start of the month, based on Refinitiv’s data.
“We do have the Fed as a powerful force,” said Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco in New York. “But a lot depends on external factors. We’re already seeing downward revisions to the third quarter, and I don’t think that’s surprising.
“We know that economic policy uncertainty is created by the trade situation.”
Companies also face tough earnings comparisons with last year, when tax cuts fueled a 24.9% profit gain in the second quarter.
Just as with the first quarter, both the second and third quarters could end up stronger than forecast, since the majority of companies typically beat analysts’ expectations during a reporting period.
While S&P 500 companies may narrowly escape a profit recession this year – defined as two straight quarters of year-over-year declines – earnings for 2019 now are seen rising just 2.3%.
That would represent the lowest annual profit growth for S&P 500 companies since 2016, which included the tail end of a four-quarter profit decline and left earnings growth that year at just 1.4%, according to Refinitiv’s data.
On Saturday, the United States and China agreed to restart trade talks. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to slap new levies on about $300 billion of additional Chinese goods, including popular consumer products, if the latest meeting proved unsuccessful. [
Tariffs on imports increase costs for U.S. companies, which then may need to raise prices on their goods.
Apple Inc (O:), in comments posted on a government website, said last month that proposed U.S. tariffs on goods from China, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs, will reduce the company’s contributions to the U.S. economy and hurt its global competitiveness.
Companies getting ready to report on the second quarter will no doubt warn about the potential impact of higher tariffs on their businesses, as they have done in recent earnings seasons.
Last week, FedEx Corp (N:) said the U.S.-China trade tensions would hurt its fiscal 2020 performance, along with the non-renewal of its contract with Amazon.com Inc (O:).
Second-quarter reporting heats up in mid-July, with JPMorgan Chase (N:) due to report July 16.
To be sure, the prospect of lower interest rates is likely to soothe some of the worries, since lower rates in general reduce costs for companies.
But even with the recent trade news, strategists say uncertainty surrounding the trade discussions is likely to continue to weigh on outlooks.
“Our overarching conclusion is that the developments over the weekend on their own don’t do enough to remove the uncertainty created by trade tensions, which began over a year ago and remain an overhang on corporate confidence and the macro outlook,” Morgan Stanley (NYSE:) strategists wrote in a note on Monday.


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Minister Dissanayake like his predecessors
Betrayal of Sri Lankan paddy
By Quintus Perera
Who says paddy farmers have benefited from the policies
of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the farmer-friendly
JVP or for that matter any government in power?
Lanka's rice bowl boils with the tears of the farmers who have toiled
to obtain a bumper harvest and are now forced to sell their produce
'for a song'. One woman, H. T. Ukkumenike of Mahindagama, Welikande
was forced to sell her 40 kg of paddy at an incredible five rupees
per kg - when the promised government-purchasing price is Rs 15.50-16.50
- and is now unable to pay even the transport charges.
crisis is so bad that R. M. Ballammenike, a farmer from Welikande,
says that coconut - much less than rice - now fetches Rs. 25 per
nut while a kilogramme of paddy has been reduced to Rs. 10 or less.
desperate farmer committed suicide while another attempted to do
so and survived. Last week the Sunday Times FT visited the rice
growing areas of Polonnaruwa, Hingurakgoda, Minneriya, Dambulla,
Welikande, Kaduruwela and Kaudulla to assess the real situation
of the rice farmer as the picture painted by the authorities in
the metropolis has been that the farmers are well looked after.
situation is bleak and volatile.
While Agriculture Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced
that an unprecedented Rs 1 billion has been allocated to purchase
paddy this season, farmers in these areas challenged the minister
to prove his claim with statistics of paddy so far purchased by
utilizing state funds.
of rice farmers, we met, said they were very optimistic of a fair
deal based on promises made when Dissanayake became the minister.
Now farmers say the minister is no better than his predecessors,
in deceiving the farmers.
season about six months back, farmers sold paddy at over Rs. 20
a kilogramme and were optimistic of fetching the same price this
time since rice was selling in the open market at around Rs. 40
promises to buy at the guaranteed price, state purchasing points
were either open two months after the harvesting season or had poor
facilities to make purchases.
the trader who supplies inputs to the farmer was at their doorstep,
equipped with lorries and weighing scales to remove the 'pound of
flesh'. These traders have so far purchased paddy at prices ranging
from Rs. 8 to 12. Though the farmers believed Minister Dissanayake's
assurances, they were also aware of the machinations of powerful
trade personalities with strong government backing including a deputy
state buying points have virtually collapsed. For example the Welikanda
Mahaweli storage facility can store 300,000 kg but the target to
purchase by the government there is only 62,500 kg due to a cash
number of farmers hoping to sell their crop before the New Year
desperately began drying the paddy on open roadsides after rain
affected the current season's crop. Traders are cashing in on the
desperation of farmers to sell their wet crop before the New Year
and demanding low prices for the paddy.
are unable to cope with the crisis. Last week, 81-year old W. Haramanis
from a Polonnaruwa village committed suicide by swallowing insecticide
due to accumulated debts of Rs 67,000 to the bank. Another farmer
A. R. M. Wijeratne, 37 and a father of two children, attempted suicide
but thankfully for his family, he survived.
tears, his wife Kamala explained that her husband resorted to this
move as he was frustrated having pawned their jewellery for Rs 75,000,
owed another Rs 75,000 to a trader and also had problems with workers
he had employed.
was rushed to hospital after swallowing pesticides but recovered
seven days after doctors battled to save his life. Kamala helps
in the household income by working in a garment factory. Wijeratne
is still sick due to the near-lethal dose of pesticides and is unable
to work as a labourer.
M. Amithasiri Silva, SLFP Branch Secretary and a farmer, said that
around 25 farmer representatives met JVP stalwarts in the area who
explained the arrangements made to purchase paddy at Aranaganwila
and the allocation of funds.
a few purchases have been made under this arrangement. When they
complained to Mahaweli Minister Maitripala Sirisena about the crisis,
he promised to look into it but also said agriculture and marketing
of paddy was in the hands of the JVP.
85 percent of the 150,000 acres of paddy in the Polonnaruwa District
has been harvested. Farmers traditionally sell around 50 percent
of their harvest before the New Year and are at the mercy of the
trader to whom they owe money for inputs received.
the case of farmer D.M. Premasiri Dissanayake who was forced to
sell his paddy at Rs 11, he ended up with a total sale of Rs 62,016
for his crop while costs were Rs 57,002, leaving him Rs 5,014 for
six months of hard work. V. Rajaratne who harvested around 7,500
kg of paddy cannot sell his crop because traders complain about
the quality and offer very low prices. "My family faces the
bleakest Sinhala New Year ever."


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Armfalcon.com, JAKARTA — PT Adira Dinamika Multi Finance Tbk (Adira Finance) is targeting the growing population of battery-based vehicles in the Indonesian automotive market. Adira also believes that he can penetrate financing of up to IDR 90 billion to IDR 100 billion in 2023.
“We have indeed set a target of Rp. 70 billion to Rp. 80 billion. However, with continued positive developments, we are confident that we can reach Rp. 90 billion to Rp. 100 billion,” said Adira Finance Portfolio Director Harry Latif to the media crew during the Halal Bihalal event. in Jakarta, Tuesday (10/5/2023).
According to Harry, more and more automotive manufacturers, both two-wheeled and four-wheeled, are offering their electric vehicles for the Indonesian automotive market. Until the first quarter of 2023, Adira Finance managed to finance around IDR 25 billion. This positive response has made Adira Finance confident to face 2023.
Overall, Adira Finance also posted positive results in the first quarter of 2023. Adira Finance managed to earn revenue of IDR 2.2 trillion and manage financing of IDR 48.3 trillion, with a net profit of IDR 417 billion.
In addition, Adira Finance managed to maintain Non-Performing Financing (NPF) of 1.5 percent and a credit rating of Baa1/stable (above RI’s sovereign rating) from Moody’s and BBB from Fitch Ratings.
Main Director of Adira Finance, Dewa Made Susila said, along with the positive growth of the Indonesian economy, domestic GDP growth reached 5.03 percent in the first quarter of 2023 and the inflation rate showed a downward trend in March 2023 to 4.97 percent from 5.51 percent. , Adira Finance shows business growth.
“The company managed to record total new financing which grew by 48 percent year on year (yoy) to IDR 10.6 trillion, in which the total new financing was dominated by the contribution of car financing, which was 45 percent, followed by motorcycle and non-automotive financing, respectively, at 36 percent and 19 percent,” Dewa said at the location The same.
To maintain this positive achievement, Adira Finance will carry out several activities that have a positive impact on customers, business partners, employees and the general public, including the Adira Festival, which is an event that facilitates and becomes a place for collaboration between the company’s ecosystem.
This event will be held for the first time in the second half of this year in five cities representing Adira Finance’s regions or business areas throughout Indonesia.
source : Between


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Google, author body end spat on internet books
PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. internet search provider Google (GOOG.O) and authors group Society Men of Letters of France (SGDL) have reached an agreement that ends a dispute dating back to 2006 over the publishing of snippets of books on the internet.
The deal puts an end to an appeal procedure, the two groups wrote in a joint statement on Monday.
"The agreement was reached to promote initiatives in favour of digital books' development and create diversity, in compliance with copyrights," they said.
The SGDL, which says it represents 6,000 French and French speaking authors and pays special attention to copyrights with regard to new technological developments, said the agreement would protect their rights on the internet.
(Reporting by Caroline Jacobs; Editing by Mark Potter)
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DAVOS, Switzerland - Central banks have done their best to rescue the world economy by printing money and politicians must now act fast to enact structural reforms and pro-investment policies to boost growth, central bankers said on Saturday.
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Apple Inc quarterly results smashed Wall Street expectations with record sales of big-screen iPhones in the holiday shopping season and a 70 percent rise in China sales, powering the company to the largest profit in corporate history. Full Article
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LOCAL financial services firm IH Securities says the downside risk of the sweeping tax reforms introduced last week might be the “Laffer curve effect” leading to a reduction in tax revenue to government coffers.
Last week, Treasury increased taxes while introducing new ones to fund the ZWL$58,2 trillion 2024 national budget.
The measures include the introduction of a wealth tax, the domestic minimum top-up tax and a US$0,02 levy per gramme of sugar contained in beverages. Treasury also raised fuel levies, tollgate and passport fees, the corporate tax rate, presumptive taxes, car registrations charges, and compelled businesses with an annual income of US$25 000 to be registered for value-added tax (Vat).
However, in its analysis of the 2024 national budget, IH Securities said these new taxes could have the opposite effect to raising revenue.
“The government has embarked on extensive revenue-raising measures to mitigate fiscal risks in a year where fiscal revenues from exports will likely trend at best sideways, as commodity prices remain under pressure. High levels of dollarisation have also driven transactions into the shadow economy which is synonymous with lower tax compliance,” IH Securities said.
“As per the ministry, forex revenue into the country’s coffers accounted for only 48% of collections versus an estimated 78% of forex transactions in the economy. This is against growing government US$ obligations.”
IH securities said if successful, the recently introduced measures could have the intended effect of expanding revenue capacity.
“However, the downside to the sweeping reforms might be the Laffer curve effect, which could see revenues falling further. For corporates, the aggregate impact of the new taxes on operational costs is likely to result in thinning margins in 2024, thereby impacting earnings for listed companies,” IH Securities said.
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According to American financial and economic literacy website, Investopedia, the Laffer curve effect is based on a theory created in 1974 by the United States supply-side economist Arthur Laffer.
Based on this theory, tax revenue does not always increase whenever the tax rate increases.
Applying the Laffer curve effect on the new taxes would mean an increase in the cost of living and doing business thus depleting disposable incomes for consumers and businesses.
The tax heads most likely to be affected are Vat and income tax.
Economists have argued that raising the tax rates would not have a positive impact on overall revenue as the economy is weakening and more people are becoming impoverished.


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The legal status of cryptocurrencies varies substantially from country to country and is still undefined or changing in many of them. While some countries have explicitly allowed their use and trade, others have banned or restricted it. According to the Library of Congress, an "absolute ban" on trading or using cryptocurrencies applies in eight countries: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates. An "implicit ban" applies in another 15 countries, which include Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Lesotho, Lithuania, Macau, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. In the United States and Canada, state and provincial securities regulators, coordinated through the North American Securities Administrators Association, are investigating "bitcoin scams" and ICOs in 40 jurisdictions.
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the founders of the Gemini Trust Co. exchange, reported that they had cut their paper wallets into pieces and stored them in envelopes distributed to safe deposit boxes across the United States. Through this system, the theft of one envelope would neither allow the thief to steal any bitcoins nor deprive the rightful owners of their access to them.
Homero Josh Garza, who founded the cryptocurrency startups GAW Miners and ZenMiner in 2014, acknowledged in a plea agreement that the companies were part of a pyramid scheme, and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2015. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission separately brought a civil enforcement action against Garza, who was eventually ordered to pay a judgment of $9.1 million plus $700,000 in interest. The SEC's complaint stated that Garza, through his companies, had fraudulently sold "investment contracts representing shares in the profits they claimed would be generated" from mining.
Fashion icon Gloria Vanderbilt has died Gloria Vanderbilt, the last of a Gilded Age clan of millionaires, an early inventor of designer jeans and the mother of CNN's Anderson Cooper, died. — Kirkpatrick Bado, USA TODAY, "Heiress lived life 'on her own terms'," 17 June 2019 San Francisco companies Lyft, Uber and Pinterest have gone public this year, driving up fears that masses of millennial millionaires will take up all the city’s already scarce housing. — Washington Post, "Film captures the loss of black San Franciscans," 7 June 2019 Sanders in fact has a net worth below that of a millionaire. — Nina Burleigh, Newsweek, "Can Bernie Sanders Beat Hillary Clinton?," 8 Apr. 2015 But in the mega-millionaire world of pro sports, the bottom line is production on the field. — Terry Pluto, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Browns & Odell Beckham: What really matters? – Terry Pluto," 7 June 2019 Described by People as a multi-millionaire property tycoon, Mozzi made his first public appearance with Beatrice at London's National Portrait Gallery Gala on March 12, 2019. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Princess Beatrice and Her Boyfriend Couple Up at Lady Gabriella Windsor's Wedding," 18 May 2019 Except for your friends don't hook you up with millionaires, and the creepy guys in your Instagram DMs almost certainly don’t include a Jonas brother. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Sophie Turner Reveals the Super Normal Way She and Joe Jonas First Met," 1 Apr. 2019 The coat is estimated to bring in between $20,000 and $30,000, which doesn’t exactly make this piece of vintage accessible to non-millionaire Basquiat fans. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "If You’ve Got $20,000 to Spare, You Can Own Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Favorite Comme des Garçons Coat," 2 Nov. 2018 The Bush family settled on the city’s west side, which would soon have America’s largest concentration of oil millionaires. — Russell Gold, WSJ, "In Houston, His Adopted Home, George H.W. Bush Was Beloved," 2 Dec. 2018
A cryptocurrency is a type of digital or virtual currency that doesn’t need to exist in a physical form to have value. These days cryptocurrencies have become extremely popular due to their decentralized exchange system between peers, making it essential for everyone to stay up to date with latest cryptocurrency news today. Our original top cryptocurrency news will help you stay up to date about everything that’s happening in the crypto world. Whether you are simply curious about the industry, are just starting out with cryptocurrencies or are a seasoned trader, we will make sure that staying up to date with the Latest Cryptocurrency News will be worth your time. The interesting thing about cryptocurrency news is that the industry is still very young and that the space is always evolving. New cryptocurrencies are popping up every day with certain projects clearly using blockchain technology better than others. Staying up to date with cryptocurrency news today will ensure you to hear all about the interesting coins that are out there - particularly the disruptive ones that could be mass adopted and are pushing the boundaries of the cryptocurrency industry forward. The aim of cryptocurrency news today is not only to keep you up to date on all the cryptocurrency news, but to educate you on all the technological developments in the space, to portray an interesting vision of where the industry is headed, and to keep you informed on security measures to be aware of in order to protect your cryptocurrencies.
Nigel Dodd argues in The Social Life of Bitcoin that the essence of the bitcoin ideology is to remove money from social, as well as governmental, control. Dodd quotes a YouTube video, with Roger Ver, Jeff Berwick, Charlie Shrem, Andreas Antonopoulos, Gavin Wood, Trace Meyer and other proponents of bitcoin reading The Declaration of Bitcoin's Independence. The declaration includes a message of crypto-anarchism with the words: "Bitcoin is inherently anti-establishment, anti-system, and anti-state. Bitcoin undermines governments and disrupts institutions because bitcoin is fundamentally humanitarian."
Every 2,016 blocks (approximately 14 days at roughly 10 min per block), the difficulty target is adjusted based on the network's recent performance, with the aim of keeping the average time between new blocks at ten minutes. In this way the system automatically adapts to the total amount of mining power on the network.:ch. 8 Between 1 March 2014 and 1 March 2015, the average number of nonces miners had to try before creating a new block increased from 16.4 quintillion to 200.5 quintillion.
The first wallet program, simply named Bitcoin, and sometimes referred to as the Satoshi client, was released in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto as open-source software. In version 0.5 the client moved from the wxWidgets user interface toolkit to Qt, and the whole bundle was referred to as Bitcoin-Qt. After the release of version 0.9, the software bundle was renamed Bitcoin Core to distinguish itself from the underlying network.
Bitcoin (BTC) is known as the first open-source, peer-to-peer, digital cryptocurrency that was developed and released by a group of unknown independent programmers named Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. Cryptocoin doesn’t have any centralized server used for its issuing, transactions and storing, as it uses a distributed network public database technology named blockchain, which requires an electronic signature and is supported by a proof-of-work protocol to provide the security and legitimacy of money transactions. The issuing of Bitcoin is done by users with mining capabilities and is limited to 21 million coins. Currently, Bitcoin’s market cap surpasses $138 billion and this is the most popular kind of digital currency. Buying and selling cryptocurrency is available through special Bitcoin exchange platforms or ATMs.
While cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that are managed through advanced encryption techniques, many governments have taken a cautious approach toward them, fearing their lack of central control and the effects they could have on financial security. Regulators in several countries have warned against cryptocurrency and some have taken concrete regulatory measures to dissuade users. Additionally, many banks do not offer services for cryptocurrencies and can refuse to offer services to virtual-currency companies. Gareth Murphy, a senior central banking officer has stated "widespread use [of cryptocurrency] would also make it more difficult for statistical agencies to gather data on economic activity, which are used by governments to steer the economy". He cautioned that virtual currencies pose a new challenge to central banks' control over the important functions of monetary and exchange rate policy. While traditional financial products have strong consumer protections in place, there is no intermediary with the power to limit consumer losses if bitcoins are lost or stolen. One of the features cryptocurrency lacks in comparison to credit cards, for example, is consumer protection against fraud, such as chargebacks.
Many national currencies have, or have had at various times, a low unit value, in many cases due to past inflation. It is obviously much easier and less significant to be a millionaire in those currencies, thus a millionaire (in the local currency) in Hong Kong or Taiwan, for example, may be merely averagely wealthy, or perhaps less wealthy than average. A millionaire in Zimbabwe in 2007 could have been extremely poor.
Bloomberg reported that the largest 17 crypto merchant-processing services handled $69 million in June 2018, down from $411 million in September 2017. Bitcoin is "not actually usable" for retail transactions because of high costs and the inability to process chargebacks, according to Nicholas Weaver, a researcher quoted by Bloomberg. High price volatility and transaction fees make paying for small retail purchases with bitcoin impractical, according to economist Kim Grauer. However, bitcoin continues to be used for large-item purchases on sites such as Overstock.com, and for cross-border payments to freelancers and other vendors.
The Bank for International Settlements summarized several criticisms of bitcoin in Chapter V of their 2018 annual report. The criticisms include the lack of stability in bitcoin's price, the high energy consumption, high and variable transactions costs, the poor security and fraud at cryptocurrency exchanges, vulnerability to debasement (from forking), and the influence of miners.


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You missed out… Container Stocks Breach 52-week High
September 15, 2021 • 1 minute read
Subscribe to access the latest trends and insights in the logistics industry.
With even mainstream media focusing on the global supply chain with its congested ports, record shipping costs, and covid-shutdowns, it’s nice to take a step back and have some positive news for a change. Here’s what’s up, container stocks breach 52-weeks high, pretty obvious from the title right? But here’s why.
Container stocks have done spectacularly well this past year. Main reason is that many shipper’s effective transport capacity has been cut down, leaving many shaking in tears from lost profits. With freight and charter rates still at unseemingly high levels and the perpetual congestion, this vicious cycle is really hurting all shippers. So it’s no wonder more containers are being leased out or bought out while the Chinese factories still can’t keep up with demand.
Here are the biggest beneficiaries from the container boom:
- DAC (NYSE: DAC) +1,508.27%
- Euroseas (NASDAQ: ESEA) +1,283.93%
- ZIM (NYSE: ZIM) +410.35%
- Global Ship Lease (NYSE: GSL) +335.36%
- Costamare (NYSE: CMRE) +195.22%
- Matson (NYSE: MATX) +119.04%
Get the latest from GoFreight!
News, stories and ideas from GoFreight.


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• MaskEX, a rapidly expanding third-generation crypto exchange headquartered in Dubai, has launched their crypto-backed Virtual Card to enable users to spend their crypto as fiat.
• Ben Caselin, former Head of Research and Strategy at Hong Kong-based crypto exchange AAX, has joined MaskEX in the role of Vice President.
• Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Fund is a major stakeholder for MaskEX.
MaskEX Launches Crypto-Backed Virtual Card
Dubai-headquartered crypto exchange MaskEX has announced the launch of its crypto-backed virtual card, enabling users to spend their crypto as fiat in more than 176 countries with over 50 million merchants worldwide. This new feature is now available to all ID-verified MaskEX users.
Ben Caselin Joins MaskEX
MaskEX has also announced that Ben Caselin, former Head of Research and Strategy at Hong Kong-based crypto exchange AAX, has joined MaskEX in the role of Vice President. At MaskEX, Mr. Caselin will oversee all global and localized marketing, communications and business development initiatives.
Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Fund
Eric Yang, CEO of MaskEX stated that „with Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Fund as a major stakeholder we know we are in a very good place to compete with the world’s biggest trading platforms.“
Vision for Mainstream Adoption
Mr. Yang highlighted that „our vision is to make crypto more accessible and find ways to integrate it more into people’s everyday lives.“ Ben Caselin echoed this sentiment by stating that „at this stage in the development of this nascent industry properly managed centralized exchanges can still play an important role in raising awareness around digital assets providing a point of contact between digital assets and traditional finance.“
Uncompromising Focus on Users
Mr. Yang revealed that they had specifically asked Mr. Caselin „to be uncompromising and closely scrutinize our operations“ when joining the team due his focus on putting users before business from his experience at AAX.


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The recent unveiling of the new Apple products brought about another unprecedented change in the Apple's systems, which is discussed by Apple Senior VP Craig Federighi in this Mac Pro 2013 keynote.
At the 2013 WWDC Keynote, Apple showcased its new upgrades with one of the highlights being OS X 10.9 Mavericks. The new software upgrades will feature a multitude of updates such as having more customizable tabs, a tagging system for documents, compressed memory for better performance, an upgrade to Safari, sync login capabilities across Apple devices, a geographic mapping system and an online library system.
The introduction of the new Apple upgrades in the Mac Pro 2013 keynote will provide developers and home users an opportunity to experience Apple's software in a viewpoint that wasn't available several years ago.
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Disney offers to buy Murdoch's Sky NewsComments
Disney has offered to buy Sky News to help Rupert Murdoch push through his multibillion euro takeover of pay-TV group Sky.
Murdoch wants to buy the 61% of Sky his company 21st Century Fox does not already own, but ctitics says this will give him too much media influence in the UK.
Fox had already promised that Sky's 24-hour news service would remain independent.
The Australian business tycoon has offered to turn Sky News into a separate legal entity that would be transferred to Disney as soon as 21st Century Fox’s acquisition of Sky was complete.


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In a new note to clients, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas says that everyone who cares about Tesla needs to be following the electric carmaker's CEO Elon Musk on Twitter.
"Major new Tesla product line -- not a car – will be unveiled at our Hawthorne Design Studio on Thurs 8pm, April 30." This is what Elon posted on Twitter on March 30th, triggering a pop in the stock, a wave of questions from investors and an understandable dash of cynicism from folks who feel each time Elon dips into the blogosphere to hype up an upcoming announcement there are diminishing returns or a 'sell ahead of the news' event. From our side, we have no strong view on what this announcement could be. However, we only point out that given the ambitions of the company, the creativity of its leader and the scope of the firm’s technology skills in the marriage of software and hardware... it's little wonder why investors need to pay extremely close attention to these events. Message: if you care about Tesla and don’t follow Elon Musk on Twitter, you should.
In his note, Jonas says that while the firm continues to field a number of questions about Tesla, he's getting kind of bored.
While we continue to have a steady level of incoming interest from investors on Tesla, the types of questions are pretty superficial. Boring, actually. The most common question we get is the classic: "What are people saying?' followed by: "Why has the stock been so weak?" If the conversation goes any further, topics may include a variety of short-term forces impacting Tesla fundamentals, mostly negative, including: The false- start in China, FX headwinds from the Euro, the impact of lower oil prices, decelerating demand for the Model S, how long Tesla can operate before it runs out of cash, etc... While all of these forces are indeed important for the near-term trading of the stock, we believe there is one factor above all that will determine whether Tesla hits $100 or $300 (or both) by year-end.
That one thing? The Model X.
Maybe Musk will announce it on Twitter, and you can follow Musk here »


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It would be wrong to lay the blame at the feet of Leahy’s successor Philip Clarke, who has been in post for a matter of months. Although there has been much hubbub about its ceding British market share over the last year despite a costly price war, the truth is its slice of the pie has been shrinking for some time.
In the year to the end of November 2007, its share of the UK grocery market was 31.2 per cent. By 2010, that had slipped to 30.7 per cent. Earlier this week, data from Kantar, showed it had shrunk a further 20 basis points to 30.5 per cent, effectively putting it back at 2006 levels.
These fractional changes might not sound like much, but convert them into lost sales and you get a different story. The UK grocery market was worth around £103bn in the year to the end of November. If Tesco had held its market share at 2010 levels, it would have booked an extra £206m in UK sales. If it had held it at 2007 levels, it would have added an extra £722m to the top line.
The lesson from Wal-Mart, arguably Tesco’s closest US equivalent, is that once sales and market share start to slip, it takes some time to turn things around. Wal-Mart suffered two years of falling sales in its domestic market before registering growth at the start of last month.
Hopefully Tesco shareholders won’t have to wait for quite so long. email@example.com


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Over the course of the summer, the Travail team has been offering one-time pop-ups across the city, but starting September 11, they will be opening a month-long pop-up in North Minneapolis, reports Rick Nelson at the Star Tribune. The 45-seat pop-up will focus on Asian street food and, instead of accepting reservations, will sell tickets to seatings, via an online ticket service. The as-yet-unnamed pop-up will be open until mid-October or possibly early November, depending on how construction is going at the Travail 2.0 site in Robbinsdale.
And, in a construction update, Nelson reports that the Travail crew is planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign on September 3, with the goal of filling a gap in funding between the money the owners have and what they need to build the Travail 2.0 "of their dreams." Co-owner Mike Brown told Nelson that they have decided not to take on any partners, so instead have turned to Kickstarter.
Brown mentioned two possible Kickstarter incentives. One, for those giving a modest amount, would be a "sexy Travail calendar" with chef cameos from the Cities' top kitchens (staying unnamed for now). For those giving in the thousands, incentives might include private parties or the ability to get reservations for a year at the otherwise-reservation-free restaurant.
· Keeping up at Travail [Star Tribune]
· All Coverage of Travail [Eater MPLS]


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At today's Amazon shareholder meeting in Seattle the company announced that it is dropping support for ALEC, while fudging questions about its taxes and voting down proposals to report its efforts to address climate change and to disclose its political spending.
Amazon's annual shareholder meeting took place in Seattle this morning. It was a brief, pro-forma event that took place in a small auditorium in an art museum and lasted only about 45 minutes. The general meeting was run by two corporate communications staffers, with CEO Jeff Bezos appearing (in jeans) for a brief presentation. There was a brief "mic check" disruption at the close of the meeting and a crowd outside protesting the company's practices.
These shareholder meetings are often displays of corporate arrogance and near-defiance of government requirements to hold public meetings. Amazon's meeting today was notable, with the company announcing the results of shareholder balloting even as the ballots were being collected from attendees. The real voting had already taken place; the shareholders who count -- the 1% owns 50.9% of all stocks, bonds and mutual funds, the next 9% own another 39.4% -- had already spoken.
At one point in the meeting attendees at the meeting were able to ask questions, and a question about Amazon's funding of the shadowy right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was answered with the announcement that Amazon is dropping their support of the organization "for this year." The company's corporate-speak wording was approximately thus: "We regularly evaluate our memberships in different organizations and we have determined that we will not renew our support of ALEC for this year." At the end of the meeting a shareholder said he was disappointed that the company "bowed to political pressure" and dropped their support of this wonderful organization that did so much good. But he was happy that Amazon has provided such good returns.
Amazon dodged a question about dodging its taxes. During the presentation, Amazon CEO Bezos said that in the last two years the company has paid $1.3 billion in taxes, including withholding and property taxes. Withholding means money collected from employees that includes Social Security and personal income taxes. Called on this later, a company spokesman hedged and obfuscated, without providing information on just how much the company pays in actual corporate taxes.
There were two shareholder proposals presented at the meeting, with Amazon's board recommending that shareholders vote against both.
The first was a proposal that Amazon assess the impact of climate change on the company -- specifically risks related to greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and logistics -- and announce the corporation’s plans to publicly disclose this assessment. The board recommended that shareholders vote against this proposal. It was announced during the collection of ballots that this proposal was rejected by the shareholders.
The second was a proposal that Amazon disclose its political spending. This proposal asked Amazon to join with best practices of corporate governance and recognize the need to participate in their community in positive ways. The Board recommended that shareholders vote against this proposal. It was announced during the collection of ballots that this proposal was rejected by the shareholders.
Another criticism of Amazon has been its working conditions, particularly in it warehouses. Amazon said at the meeting that they are installing air conditioners in older warehouses, and newer ones have air conditioning. A spokesperson also said that the company matches the "metrics compared to industry benchmarks." Attendees who still have souls were left speechless.
Disruption At End
As the meeting drew to a close there was a "mic check" with several attendees joining in, linking arms, and being led out of the meeting by police. There were no arrests.
As the meeting took place there was a large crowd -- maybe 200 people -- outside the building, holding signs and repeating chants led by people with megaphones.


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AMX pushes digital signage with SpinetiX
AMX has embarked on a technology sharing partnership with HMP100 Hyper Media Player manufacturer, SpinetiX.
The companies claim the agreement will allow them to push forward the “next generation” in signage solutions. They pinpoint benefits resulting from combining digital signage with centralised control.
Yann Guyonvarc’h, CEO of SpinetiX, said: “As the digital signage market is really coming into its own we look to deliver advances from combining the technologies that significantly impact the market and pave the way for a new generation of digital signage capabilities."
Both the HMP100 Hyper Media Player and the AMX’s Inspired XPress Signage Solution from AMX feature compact, powerful signage players that utilise Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).


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Netflix is unhappy about the fall in its subscribers. The streaming giant estimated that around 200,00 fewer households are using the platform in Q1 because of password-sharing. They even intimidated the shareholders about the loss of two million subscribers in Q2 of 2022.
After pulling out of Russia in March amidst the Ukraine war, Netflix lost 700,000 subscribers. Due to the recent price hike, 600,000 more Americans and Canadians stopped using the service. The cost of the basic plan was raised from $9 to $10 per month, and standard from $14 to $15.50. In the UK, with the price being increased by £1, households cancelled more than 1.5 million streaming subscriptions with 38% saying they want to save money.
However, most other users have adapted to the price increase in a sneaky way — password sharing. Netflix has alleged that more than 100 million households share their passwords outside their own roofs. This significantly decreases the chances of users upgrading to a premium account for more profiles.
Dealing with its first loss in over a decade, Netflix has decided it’s going on a crackdown, not by curbing “illegitimate” sharing but by making the account holder pay up. According to the website, the platform launched two new features last month in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru — users can add up to two extra members they don’t live with for a price and will be able to transfer their profiles to a new account or an extra member sub-account. The benefit? retaining the viewing history, their lists and personalized recommendations.
According to BBC, Netflix boss Reed Hastings had previously described the practice as “something you have to learn to live with”, even admitting that account sharing had probably brought in more people to the platform.
Changing his mind, however, Hastings recently said account sharing was making it difficult to attract new subscribers in some countries. “When we were growing fast, it wasn’t a high priority to work on [account sharing]. And now we’re working super hard on it,” he told the shareholders. Hastings also hinted at Netflix launching a free ad-supported service like Disney and HBO. This could open a new revenue stream for the streaming service which had so far stood against advertising.
Analysts say it could open a significant new revenue stream for the company, which has so far shunned advertising. This, however, would cause a further decline in the number of subscribers, with more opting for a cheaper streaming service with fewer advertisements. People often choose online streaming because of the lack of obligatory advertisements, thereby defeating its purpose. With the recent influx of shows nobody asked for, Netflix has perhaps lost the grip it once had on its users.
Despite this, Netflix said that even with the cancellations, the price rise would yield more money for the firm. However, analysts say the rising cost of streaming services is annoying households as the cost of living rises.


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The legislation was backed by Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association. Ohio Farm Bureau Director of Legislative Relations Spencer Waugh said marketing agreements will be initiated by farmers to help provide stable markets for agricultural products such as dairy, fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops.
These agreements will be voluntary and can help maintain product quality, standardize packages or containers and authorize advertising, research or market development. Each agreement can be tailored to the individual industry’s marketing needs.
“Voluntary agreements will be for farmers and managed by farmers, but the agreements will be established through the Ohio Department of Agriculture,” Waugh said. “Agreements will be self-supporting through fees paid by participants in each voluntary agreement and will have no cost to the state.”
OPGMA plans to be one of the first groups to submit a proposed agricultural marketing agreement that will empower Ohio’s produce growers to protect and promote Ohio produce farmers through a food safety program that will allow them to meet anticipated federal requirements and standards.
“We wanted to be proactive in giving producers a channel through which to get to the level of competency in regards to food safety that the public was demanding,” said Lisa Schacht, OPGMA president.


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Newegg has revealed pre-order deals for the upcoming PS4 and Xbox One controllers. According to a listing update from the shopping website on Sept. 10, the online retailer is offering a gift card valued at $10 when customers purchase the DualShock 4 of the PS4 and Wireless Controller of the Xbox One.
The gift card has no expiration date. However, it can only be redeemed on products that are sold from Newegg. The promotional offer is also described as “limited.” You can check out some images of the DualShock 4 in the slideshow near the top of this article and the pre-order pages for both next-generation consolers from Newegg below:
The DualShock 4 has a price tag of $59.99 and will be released in North America on Nov. 15, the same day as the launch of the PS4. The Xbox One Wireless Controller, which also has an official price of $59.99, is expected to come out exactly one week later alongside the launch of Microsoft’s new console.


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Ford Motor has hired Mike Amend as its chief digital and information officer as the automaker seeks to expand into software, subscriptions and in-vehicle connectivity. Amend, who was president of Lowe’s Online for three years, will focus on Ford’s “use of data, software and technology” — all areas central to Ford’s new Ford+ strategy, the OEM said.
The hire is just the latest sign that Ford is serious about beefing up its digital offerings for customers, as the company seeks to pivot toward high-tech segments. The company calls this plan “Ford+,” which it unveiled earlier this year. Central to this plan is electric vehicles, which Ford wants to comprise around half of its global sales by 2030, as well as expanding into new sources of revenue via subscriptions and digital services.
To that end, Amend will oversee a number of teams, including Ford’s technology and software platform function and its global data insight and analytics section.
Amend isn’t Ford’s only recent hire of note. The automaker also recently poached Doug Field — the tech executive who was leading Apple’s special projects team, and who also led the development of the Model 3 at Tesla — as chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer. The two will work closely, along with chief of product Hau Thai-Tang, Ford said.
Amend’s career includes growing the online businesses of major retailers, including Lowe’s, The Home Depot and JCPenney. Ford’s interim chief information officer, Sakis Kitsopanidis, will continue to serve as director of integrated enterprise resource planning.


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Smartphones Will Die Soon; Mark Zuckerberg Will Tell You Why And How
There will come a time when smartphones will be an obsolete thing of the past if Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg succeeds with his ambitious 10-year plan. The internet entrepreneur first revealed his roadmap in April 2016, with barely any specifics. But at last week's F8 conference, the biggest social media platform's co-creator offered more details with regard to his strategy.
At the end of the line, everyone in the world will have access to an internet connection. If Facebook has its way, then a lot of people will do so through the social media company's connectivity branch, Internet.org. At the same time, AI systems will be smart enough to talk with humans as if they were also humans, Business Insider writes. Lastly, there will come a time when people will live in a world where computing is done without screens.
And the last part of Zuckerberg's game plan heralds the death of smartphones. Working, entertaining and socializing through mobile phones, television sets, computers or anything else with a screen will become archaic. It will be superseded by smart glasses that would do this.
According to Michael Abrash of Oculus research, the world is only five years away from having augmented reality smart glasses. In fact, Zuckerberg and co. are already developing a technology that would allow people to type, point and click with their brains (via the smart glasses, of course). To give everyone an idea of what that would be like, the Menlo Park company turns phones into AR devices with the help of the Camera Effects platform.
However, as exciting as it may be to live in an AR/VR world, ZDNet points out potential problems. Privacy is the biggest caveat. Facebook, or any other company for that matter, could tap into people's brains without them knowing. Intermediaries could know what consumers see, hear or even think through the technology they provide. The question of privacy already arose with the advent of smartphones and they have not even been solved yet.
Nevertheless, the world is already fast approaching the time when the real world and the digital space mix up. Smartphones will become fossils, and even now they have already paved the way to their deaths (by incorporating VR functions to their systems). When that happens, Facebook will play a key role in different aspects of people's lives.
Virtual Rick-ality Is A Game Verily Infused With 'Rick and Morty' Signature Humor
"Rick and Morty" fans are in for a treat as the comedic show now has its own full-blown video game, "Virtual Rick-ality."
Bose Headphones Are Spies, Lawsuit Claims
A class action lawsuit filed recently claims that Bose headphones are spying on users. Several models were cited in the case, including the highly-popular QuietComfort 35.
Facebook's Surround 360 Promises An Immersive, Interactive VR Experience
Facebook redevelops Surround 360 to come up with a more immersive VR experience that allows the user freedom of motion inside the scenery.
E3 2017: PS4 Gets An Exclusive Spider-Man Game; Arriving In 2018
Sony is working on a Spider-Man VR game, which is set for release next year. Check out the full details here!
Watch The NBA Finals And Other Sports Updates In VR
There is also a bonus that if you missed any of the earlier games in the 2016-2017 season, you can always get yourself up to speed by watching archived games before the Finals kick off.
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How Do Personal Emergency Response Systems Work?
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Game Developers’ Different Roles in the Studio
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You Did It! You’re Off to College! Congratulations! You have finished high school and are off to college. The sense of accomplishment is overwhelming, and you have not even graduated yet! However, beware of the pitfalls. The allure of going to college is often associated with one word—freedom. You are leaving home to be on your own. You can have all the friends you want, stay up as late as you want, and perhaps spend as much money as you want. If you keep your head, you can avoid the problems associated with college life.


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The Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit today handed down its decision in the lawsuit brought by the US Postal Service against the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) over the PRC’s attempt to regulate new Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) rules. Mailers had claimed that the regulations increased their costs, and therefore were price increases that needed to be counted against the postal service’s rate cap for “Market Dominant” services. The PRC sided with the mailers, so the USPS appealed to the Court, claiming that the law clearly prohibited the PRC from “characterizing mail preparation requirements as changes in rates.”
Today’s decision rejects the postal service’s claim, finding the law “ambiguous” on that point. But while the Court found that the PRC could determine that a change in the rules amounted to a rate hike, “The standard enunciated by the Commission to determine when requirements changes are ‘changes’ in rates” seems boundless and, thus, unreasonable; and the Commission’s inconsistent application of the standard in this case proves the point.” The Court went so far as to find that “The Commission’s judgment in this case ‘lacks any coherence. We therefore owe no deference to [the Commission’s] purported expertise because we cannot discern it. We therefore remand the case to the Commission to enunciate an intelligible standard and then reconsider its decision in light of that standard.”
Washington, DC – Today the Postal Regulatory Commission issued Order No. 2472 approving the Postal Service’s price adjustments for Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services. The prices are scheduled to take effect May 31, 2015. In Order Nos. 2378 and 2398, the Commission remanded the price adjustments for Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services to the Postal Service for non-compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
In today’s order, the Commission approves the Postal Service’s revised price adjustments and classification changes, which now comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. In addition, the Commission directs the Postal Service to propose several methodologies relating to changes approved in Order No. 2472. The Commission approves several changes to workshare discounts and the Mail Classification Schedule in Order No. 2472, some of which necessitate the development of methodologies to be used in data reporting. The Commission directs the Postal Service to file the following within 90 days:
The Postal Service is directed to file a proposed methodology for determining the costs avoided for the Presorted FSS workshare discounts.
The Postal Service is directed to file a proposed methodology for determining the costs avoided for the 5-digit pallet presort Standard Mail Carrier Route flats workshare discount.
The Postal Service is directed to file a proposed methodology for determining the bottom-up costs for the new Periodicals Mail Carrier Route bundle and container entry options.
The Commission’s regulations require that the Postal Service use accepted analytical principles in its data reporting to the Commission. 39 C.F.R. part 3050.
The Commission’s complete analyses of the Postal Service’s Market Dominant price adjustments for fiscal year 2015 are located at www.prc.gov in Docket No. R2015-4.
The US Postal Service announced today that it will hold off on rate adjustments scheduled to take effect on April 26. The adjustments, which involve First Class Mail, Special Services and Competitive Products, have already been approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission. Rates affecting Standard Mail, Periodicals and Package Services, however, have not been approved, after the PRC twice rejected USPS rate requests for those classes of mail, saying they were “riddled with errors”, and failed to comply with the law.
The USPS says it doesn’t want to burden customers with multiple implementation dates for different classes, and will set a new date for implementation once it manages to sort out the faulty submissions. It did not offer an estimate of how long that might take.
Washington, DC – For the second time in this case, the Postal Regulatory Commission returned a Postal Service proposal to adjust rates for Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services.
In Order No. 2378 issued on March 6, 2015, the Commission remanded the rates for these classes of mail so that the Postal Service could provide additional information and justifications, correct errors, and fulfill applicable legal requirements. The Commission held that the Postal Service needed to address several deficiencies, including unequal Standard Mail nonprofit and commercial discounts, improperly justified Standard Mail worksharing discounts with passthroughs above 100 percent, and improperly calculated billing determinant adjustments for all three classes.
In the order issued today, the Commission finds that the Postal Service has not adequately addressed the concerns described in Order No. 2378 and has failed to demonstrate that the proposed rates comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. As a result, the Commission again returns the proposed rates and directs the Postal Service to provide information demonstrating that they conform to the law.
Once the Postal Service files a response to the Commission’s order, the public will have 7 days from the date of that filing to comment on the revised proposal.
The Commission’s complete analysis of the Postal Service’s revised price adjustments for Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services can be found in Order No. 2398, under Docket No. R2015-4.
The Postal Regulatory Commission has told the US Postal Service that it can’t approve and certify the rate adjustments for market-dominant services scheduled to take effect next month. The PRC, in an order issued today, gave the USPS until next Thursday, March 12, to file an amended rate adjustment notice. Continue reading →
Washington, DC – Today the Postal Regulatory Commission issued Order No. 2365 on Price Adjustments for First-Class Mail finding the Postal Service pricing proposals to be consistent with the Consumer Price Index based price cap under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, 39 U.S.C. 3622(d)(1)(A). The new prices will take effect April 26, 2015.
The Commission did not delay the review and approval of First-Class Mail despite incomplete information filed by the Postal Service for other classes of Market Dominant mail.
The Commission has approved the following actions that will affect domestic mail:
The Postal Service will maintain the price of the First-Class Mail stamp, which includes the Forever stamp, at 49 cents.
The single-piece additional ounce for letters will increase from 21 to 22 cents.
The price of Postcards will increase to 35 cents.
The following changes affect international mail:
Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail (first ounce) will increase by 5 cents to $1.20.
Non-machinable Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail will increase to $1.42.
Outbound Single-Piece Postcards will increase to $1.20.
All Commission documents pertaining to price changes for 2015 are located on the Commission’s website at www.prc.gov, under Docket No. R2015-4.
All of the prices above include the current exigent surcharge approved in Docket No. R2013-11.
The Postal Service Governors have decided to maintain current product and service prices and not seek a market dominant price change at this time.
Because the Postal Service has announced price change proposals in September and October for the past three years, mailing industry representatives and others have been waiting to hear whether a price change would take effect in January 2015.
The governors decided not to seek a change for mailing and shipping products and services in January in part because of the uncertainty regarding the exigent price increase.
The Postal Service will continue to evaluate pricing strategies and will communicate about any potential price change filings in early 2015, including advance notice to customers of any price changes.
WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service today filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to change Priority Mail prices, including a reduction in prices on average for businesses and other customers who use Commercial Plus and Commercial Base online shipping services. The price change will include a modest increase for Priority Mail prices at Post Offices and other postal retail outlets. The proposed changes, which would go into effect in September 2014, are intended to offer more competitive pricing and build on Priority Mail’s popularity with customers.
“The Postal Service is a vital business partner for small and large businesses and lowering shipping prices will save them money and improve their bottom line,” said Nagisa Manabe, chief marketing/sales officer. “With our affordable shipping options, we hope to attract new business customers and become their preferred delivery service.”
Both Commercial Base and Commercial Plus prices will be reduced on average, with most of the decreases concentrated in the ground zones weighing between 7-16 pounds. Price for Commercial Base customers will be reduced on average by 0.9 percent, and prices for Commercial Plus customers will decline on average 2.3 percent.
“Unlike others in the shipping industry, the Postal Service is not implementing any new dimensional-weight charges, continuing our commitment to deliver the best value for our customers,” said Manabe.
The Postal Service will continue to offer Priority Mail customers free insurance, expected delivery day, flat-rate packaging options and Regional Rate Boxes. Priority Mail is one of the Postal Service’s most popular shipping products, helping to boost USPS package volumes and meet customers’ needs for convenience at competitive prices. Last year, 871 million pieces were shipped through Priority Mail.
“With the Postal Service, there are no shipping surcharges. We deliver on Saturdays for no extra charge, we pick up packages for free, and we deliver shipping boxes and envelopes, also for free. Just a few more ways we help businesses get the most out of their shipping*,” stated Manabe.
Commercial Base Pricing does not have any volume requirements and these reduced rates are available for customers who use Click-N-Ship, PC Postage products, permit imprints, or digital mailing systems (meters) that generate an IBI (Information Based Indicia) and submit data electronically to the USPS.**
Eligibility for Commercial Plus Pricing is based primarily on shipping volume. For Priority Mail, 50,000 pieces are required within the prior year. In lieu of past volume, customers can instead complete a customer commitment agreement.
Pricing at Post Offices and other retail outlets will have a modest increase of 1.7 percent on average.
Highlights of the new proposed retail pricing for Priority Mail products include:
Small box – $5.95
Medium box – $12.65
Large box – $17.90
Large APO/FPO box – $15.90
Regular envelope – $5.75
Legal envelope – $5.90
Padded envelope – $6.10
Priority Mail is the Postal Service’s flagship Shipping Services product, accounting for $6.4 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2013. It’s a convenient and fast way to send documents and packages requiring expedited transportation and handling.
The PRC will review the prices before they become effective Sept. 7, 2014, and must agree the prices are consistent with applicable law.3 The new price proposals will be available on the PRC website at www.prc.gov.
The pricing adjustments are part of a broader strategy to position the Postal Service for the future. USPS is also streamlining its mail processing operations, which will allow the organization to invest in new package sorting equipment and other upgrades, as it continues to seek legislative changes to update its business model.
* Except when Saturday is a national holiday. For details on free Package Pickup, visit usps.com/pickup; Available with the U.S. For use with Priority Mail, and Priority Mail International shipping. Boxes are delivered with our regular mail usually within 7 to 10 business days. To order, visit store.usps.com/store.
** Visit USPS.com or call your USPS sales consultant for eligibility requirements.
The Postal Regulatory Commission has filed its brief in the appeal of its decision granting the USPS only a temporary “exigent” rate increase to make up for the impact of the “Great Recession”. The USPS had argued that it was entitled to a permanent increase, while mailers had opposed any price hike.
Here is the PRC’s summary of its argument:
The Postal Regulatory Commission authorized the Postal Service to increase its prices temporarily to recover revenue losses associated with the volume declines caused by the Great Recession. The Commission’s order reflects legal and econometric analysis that preserves the balance that Congress struck in the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, giving effect to Congress’s decision to allow prices to increase faster than the rate of inflation only to the extent necessary to compensate for the effects of extraordinary or exceptional circumstances. Continue reading →
Trade Group will Explore Options to Appeal or Limit this Unjustified Increase in 2014.
Washington, DC, January 09, 2014 –(PR.com)– On December 24, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) voted 2-1 to approve an exigent, or “emergency,” postage rate increase of 4.3 percent, the full amount requested in September by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). This increase is to be applied in addition to the CPI increase of 1.7 percent, totaling a 6 percent increase for periodicals. In response, SIIA President Ken Wasch issued the following statement:
“We remain very disappointed that the PRC has continued to ignore the lack of discipline, efficiency and overall fiscal responsibility of the USPS, and instead chose to place a continued and unjustified rate increase on the B2B industry. While the PRC at least had the good judgment to reject the USPS request to make this a permanent increase, we will begin 2014 assessing the opportunities to appeal or further limit the duration of this harmful increase.”
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the leading trade associations representing technology, digital content, media and information companies, including those that publish business-to-business industry magazines and newsletters. Our membership is comprised of more than 700 members who publish more than 600 print periodical titles and mails approximately 800 million magazines and newsletters each year, representing approximately 15% of the periodicals class within the US Postal Service. In addition, SIIA members utilize first-class and standard mail extensively and collectively spend an estimated $260 million in postage each year. In November, SIIA submitted comments to the PRC outlining reasons why the exigent increase should not be approved.